Medical image diagnosis apparatuses image the inside of a subject by various techniques and include various modalities such as an X-ray CT apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, and an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus. For example, the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus collects organism information by emitting an ultrasonic pulse generated by a vibration element provided in an ultrasonic probe and into the subject and receiving an ultrasonic reflected wave generated by differences of acoustic impedances of the subject organism by the vibration element. The real-time display of dynamic images can be realized only by bringing the ultrasonic probe into contact of the surface of a body.
Ultrasonic images acquired by the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus can be stored as still images or dynamic images. If a user is interested in images in a specific time phase of dynamic images, the user can also store information identifying the specific time phase as a “marker” together with the images. The stored still images or dynamic images can be played back retrospectively by the ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, an ultrasonic image processing apparatus (medical workstation) or the like.
In a conventional storage method and playback method of medical images including ultrasonic images, the following problems are posed.
When, for example, ultrasonic images are stored as dynamic images extending over a fixed period, images of interest to actual imaging diagnosis are images corresponding to a predetermined time phase (frame). In a conventional ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, however, the whole dynamic image storage range is intended for inspection. Thus, when dynamic images are retrospectively played back, a problem that it is difficult to identify a time phase of interest is posed. In recent years, apparatuses that automatically insert a marker in a change point of the inspection item such as a mode transition or manually insert a marker in a focused time phase (frame) during inspection have been proposed. However, the dynamic image storage range remains to be wide and the fact that a lot of time and effort are needed to reach a desired image remains unchanged. Further, apparatuses capable of individually designating the dynamic image storage range based on the time or the heart rate have been proposed. However, an image of the specific time phase operated to be frozen is not necessarily included in the set dynamic image storage range. Thus, to store an image of the specific time phase operated to be frozen by always including the image in dynamic images, an operation to designate the storage range individually and explicitly is separately needed. Therefore, it is still troublesome for the operator and adequate ease of use is not yet realized.
Embodiments described herein are developed in view of the above circumstances and an object thereof is to provide a medical image diagnosis apparatus and a medical image processing apparatus capable of always storing images of temporal interest and grasping images of temporal interest easily and intuitively in retrospective playback.